Stack arrangement



Oct. 10, 1961 H. J. BLASKOWSKI 3,003,517

STACK ARRANGEMENT Filed April 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Henry J. Bloskowski Q ATTORNEY 10, 1961 H. J. BLASKOWSKI 3,003,517

STACK ARRANGEMENT Filed April 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Henry J. Bluskowski ATTORNEY United States Patent G M 6 Claims. (Cl. 137-253) This invention relates to stacks for the discharge of a hot gaseous efiiuent to atmosphere and has particular relation to a novel stack organization wherein is incorporated control means for controllably directing the gaseous efliuent.

In certain industrial processes there is produced a hot gaseous eflluent which at times must be conveyed directly to a stack while at other times is conveyed to a further processing stage with the efliuent completely bypassing the processing stage when it is conveyed to the stack while when it is conveyed to the processing stage it is introduced to the stack after passing through this stage. One example of such an efiluent is the hot gases that emerge from the regenerator of an oil cracking plant. This efliuent contains a substantial amount of combustible gas, i.e., CO, and is at a temperature between 900 and 110 F. It is generally desirable to convey this gas to a furnace where the burnable portion therein is combusted and the combustion gases from this furnace passed over heat exchange surface. However, there are times when, for one reason or another (as a malfunction of the furnace), it is impossible to introduce this gas into the furnace and thereafter it must be conveyed directly to a stack for discharge to atmosphere. Because of the large amount of this gas and its high temperature large valve organizations are required to controllably direct the gas to the furnace or directly to the stack. In accordance with the present invention liquid seal type valves are employed for this purpose with an extremely convenient and economical construction being provided wherein the valves are disposed within the stack at the lower end thereof. At the very bottom of the stack there is formed the liquid seal valve for controlling the admission of gas to the furnace with the walls of the stack forming part of this liquid seal organization. Directly above this liquid seal control valve is formed the liquid seal control for admission of the gas directed to the stack. By suitably insulating the compartments of these vertically disposed liquid seal controls from each other,

water may be employed as the liquid seal medium even when handling this hot efiluent gas. The withdrawal and delivery of the sealing liquid from and to each of these organizations is cont-rolled as desired so that the delivery of the high temperature effluent gas to the stack or to the furnace is controlled. The combustion gases that leave the furnace and pass over various heat exchange surfaces are introduced into the stack at a location above the upper liquid seal.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved stack organization which incorporates therewithin a control for controlling the distribution of a hot gaseous effluent.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds.

With the aforementioned objects in view, the invention comprises an arrangement, construction and combination of the elements of the inventive organization in such a manner as to attain the results desired as hereinafter more particularly set forth in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment, said embodiment being shown by the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation in the nature of a 3,003,517 Patented Oct. 10, 1961 vertical elevation of an organization embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the lower end of the stack wherein is housed the liquid seal valves;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section similar to that of FIG. 2 but showing a modified construction;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters are used throughout to designate like elements, in the illustrative organization of FIG. 1 there is shown a regenerator 16 of a catalytic crackeras employed in the oil industry. This regenerator contains catalyst that has been coated with a coke deposit with this deposit being burned oi? the catalyst in the regenerator. Complete combustion is not had in the regenerator so that the gaseous effluent leaving the regenerator through duct 12 contains some 3 to 9% carbon monoxide and has a sensible heat that corresponds from 800 to 1100 F. Under these circumstances it is desirable to convey this effluent to the furnace of a boiler wherein the CO is burned and a substantial portion of the heat in the gas is absorbed. Accordingly, the hot gaseous eflluent in duct 12 is normally conveyed to the furnace 14 of boiler 16 where the C0 is burned and the combustion gases from the furnace pass over the various heat exchangers 18 and leave the boiler through breeching 2% that leads to stack 22 into which the combustion gases are introduced through the opening 23, with this stack discharging these gases to atmosphere.

There are times when it is not possible to convey the hot gaseous eflluent from regenerator 10 to furnace 14, as when boiler 16 is shut down for necessary repairs or inspection, and during such times the eflluent is conveyed directly from duct 12 into stack 22. Accordingly some means for controlling the delivery of the hot gases in duct12 to stack 22 and to furnace 14 must be provided. In accordance with the invention liquid seal traps or va-les that form part of stack 22 efiect this necessary control. Stack 22 is supported at its base by means of upright support structure 24 with suitable bracing in the form of structural steel members 26 being provided at an elevated position on the stack. Spaced about the bottom 28 of the stack is the transverse partition 30 that is in the form of two vertically spaced plates between which is disposed thermal insulation. Partition 30' effectively forms a separate chamber 32 in the lower end of the stack and in the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, this chamber is divided into compartments 34 and 36 by plate 38, with these compartments being interconnected at the lower end of the chamber as shown so that a liquid trap or seal is formed. Located above partition 30- and extending downwardly toward the partition is another bafile plate 40 which has its lower end in spaced relation with partition 30 and connects at its upper end with the laterally extending plate 42 to form another liquid seal or trap having compartments 44 and 46. This upper liquid seal communicates with duct 12 through the lateral connection 48 that extends into the upper portion of compartment 44. Compartment 46 of this upper liquid seal is open directly to the stack interior. Duct 12 communicates with the lower seal through inlet 50 at the upper end of compartment 34. Compartment 36 of this lower liquid seal has an outlet 52 in its upper portion from which duct 54 extends with this duct being connected with the furnace 14 through suitable burner organizations 56 and being effective to convey the gases from the lower liquid seal to the furnace.

As illustratively shown, the upper liquid seal has a sealing liquid therein and is effective to prevent introduction of the hot gaseous efiluent in duct 12 directly into the stack 22, while the lower liquid seal has had the sealing liquid removed so that the gaseous efiluent from duct 12 may pass through compartments 34 and 36 and accordingly be conveyed to furnace 14 through duct 54.

When it is desired to shut off or block the passage of these gases to the boiler so that the boiler is bypassed, the sealing liquid is removed from the upper seal and this liquid or other sealing liquid is supplied to the lower seal. It is of course essential that sutficient liquid be supplied to each of these seals when they are to effect a sealing action so that the liquid level is above the lower limit of the bafiie that forms a part of the seal. While the sealing liquid may be either transferred from one seal to another or drained from one seal and a fresh supply of liquid introduced into the other seal it is preferable to transfer this liquid from one to the other since the liquid must be treated in order that it will not corrode the stack inasmuch as these stacks are made of sheet metal, as for example, /2" plate stock.

In FIG. 2 there is shown a system for transferring this seal liquid and in accordance with this illustrative organization a transfer is effected through conduit 58 in which there are provided steam ejectors 60 and 62 with steam being supplied to these ejectors through supply conduit 64 and with valves 66 and 68 individually controlling the respective ejectors. When it is desired to withdraw the sealing liquid from the upper liquid seal valve and supply it to the lower liquid seal valve the control valve 66 is opened to supply steam to ejector 60. When it is desired to reverse the transfer of the sealing liquid valve 68 is opened so ejector 62 is activated. With this organization the supply of hot gases to boiler 16 may be rapidly shut off and the gases introduced directly into the stack.

The embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 is similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 2 except that instead of forming the liquid seal valves by means of transversely extending vertical bafflle plates they are formed by dog leg or right angled conduits 70, with this conduit in the lower liquid seal forming compartments 36 and 34' and in the upper seal forming compartments 46' and 44. As in the previously described embodiment duct 12 communicates with compartments 34' and 44' at their upper regions with this duct communicating with compartment 44 through the inlet portion 72 of the dog leg conduit 76 and communicating with compartment 34 through the inlet 50'. The laterally extending portion 74 of the dog leg 70 in the lower liquid seal valve connects with conduit 54 for conveyance of the hot gases to the furnace.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that such is merely illustrative and not restrictive and that variations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes as fall within the purview of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. An upright stack in the form of a conduit for the discharge of a gaseous eflluent relatively high into the atmosphere and supported at its base, a supply conduit, a first liquid seal valve within the region of a stack adjacent the bottom of the stack and having an inlet extending laterally through the wall of the stack communicating with said conduit and having an outlet leading from the stack with. the walls of the stack forming the outer wall portions of the liquid seal valve, a second liquid seal valve within said stack above said first having an inlet in the wall of the stack also communicating with saidsupply conduit and an outlet communicating with the stack interior above this second seal valve with the walls of the stack forming wall portions of the second liquid seal valve, and means for supplying a sealing liquid to and removing the same from these valves.

2. An upright stack in the form of a conduit for the discharge of a gaseous effluent relatively high into the atmosphere, said stack being supported at its lower end, means in the region of the stack adjacent the bottom of the stack and including the wall of the stack forming a separate chamber within the stack and having a pair of compartments interconnected at their lower ends to form a liquid trap with the side walls or at least one of the compartments being formed at least in part by the side walls of the stack, said chamber having an inlet at the upper portion of one compartment and an outlet at the upper portion of the other compartment and leading from the stack with the inlet and outlet each being provided in the side wall of the stack, means above said first mentioned means and also including the wall of the stack and forming another and similar liquid trap Within the stack and with the side walls of at least one of the compartments being formed at least in part by the side wall of the stack and with this second trap having one compartment opening directly to the stack interior above this second-mentioned liquid trap and an inlet in the side wall of the upper portion of the other compartment and means for withdrawing liquid from and supplying liquid to each of said traps.

3. In an organization of the type described an upright stack in the form of a conduit for the discharge of a hot gaseous efiiuent relatively high into the atmosphere and supported at its lower end, an insulated partition transversely of the stack at its lower end and spaced from the bottom thereof to form a separate chamber in the stack, means extending downwardly in said chamber and dividing the same into a pair of compartments interconnected at their lower portions to form a liquid trap, one of said compartments having an inlet at its upper region and the other having an outlet at its upper region leading from the stack with both inlet and outlet extending through the wall of the stack, means above said partition and extending downward in the stack and terminating in spaced relation with said partition forming a pair of compartments in the stack interconnected at their lower portions to form a liquid trap one of which has an inlet at its upper region and extending through the wall of the stack and the other opening directly to the stack interior above this second mentioned trap, means carrying a hot gaseous efiluent and communicating with the inlet of each trap, and means for supplying a sealing liquid to and removing the same from each of the traps.

4. The organization of claim 3 wherein the means extending downward to form each of the traps comprises a. vertical baflie extending across the stack interior and engaging the inner wall surface of the stack to form the chambers.

5. The organization of claim 3 wherein the means extending downward to form each of the traps comprises a dog leg conduit one end of which is received in an opening in the side of the stack.

6. In an organization of the type described the combination of means providing a hot gaseous efiiuent, an upright stack in the form of a conduit effective to discharge said efiluent relatively high into the atmosphere, means forming part of the stack controlling the delivery of said eifiuent directly to the stack or to a location for processing, said means including a pair of liquid seal valves within the lower end of the stack and comprising an insulated transverse partition in the lower end of the stack and spaced from the bottom to form a separate chamber in the stack for one of said seals, means in said chamber dividing it into a pair of compartments interconnected only at their lower ends, one of said compartments having an inlet at its upper region through the Wall of the stack connected with the first named means, the other compartment having .an outlet at its upper region leading from the stack through the wall thereof, said other seal means operative to transfer sealing liquid to and from being above said one seal and including means cooperatthese seals.

ing with said partition to form a pair of compartments within the stack interconnected only at their lower ends References (med m the me of this patent and one of which opens directly to the stack interior above 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS this other seal, the other having an inlet at its upper 686,846 Porter Nov. 19, 1901 region through the wall of the stack connected to the first 762,721 Hume June 14, 1904 mentioned means, means including a processing organiza- 934,447 Lea Sept. 21, 1909 ion interconnecting the outlet of the lower seal with the 1,436,174 Iohansson Nov. 21, 1922 stack interior at a location above the upper seal, and 10 2,398,205 Buchwald Apr. 9, 1946 

